Nigerian actor and comedian, Ijoba Lande, has publicly shared his frustrating experience working with Nollywood star Funke Akindele, revealing that he was paid only N90,000 after working for an entire month.
His disclosure, made in a viral video, has sparked mixed reactions, with some fans of Akindele criticizing Lande for speaking out.
In a live session on his social media page, Lande recounted the details of his time working with the star of Everybody Loves Jenifa, stating that despite spending a month at Akindele’s residence in Amen Estate, he was paid a sum far lower than expected.
“After working with Funke Akindele for a whole month, she did not even give me N150,000, I swear to God,” he said. Lande advised upcoming creatives in the entertainment industry not to view anyone as a “god” and to confidently charge their fees for their work.
Lande explained that during the month he worked at Amen Estate, he was living in Ayobo and would often return home when there was little to do. He emphasized the importance of knowing one’s worth, advising fellow creatives to demand fair payment for their work.
In the video, Lande also spoke about how Akindele had initially reached out to him after seeing a video he made and liked. He described feeling excited, thinking it would be a significant career opportunity.
However, upon arriving at Amen Estate, he was disappointed by her lack of approachability and the fact that they never took a single photo together.
“Whenever Funke Akindele is talking to you, she would talk to you nicely, her voice is gentle,” he recalled. “But during the entire time I worked for her, we never took a single picture, she was never approachable.”
Lande also mentioned that he learned valuable lessons from the experience and would now set his fees when approached for work. “Even if Michael Jackson wants to use me, I will tell him the specific amount I want to collect,” he added, signaling that he now understands the importance of valuing his contributions.
When he first arrived to begin his work with Funke Akindele, Lande was introduced to a producer named Wendy, who handed him a contract stating that his monthly payment would be N90,000. Lande admitted he was initially taken aback but decided to sign the contract, believing that the payment figure was just a formality. “It’s good to be educated,” Lande said. “If I was well-read, I would not have signed.”
At the end of the month, however, Lande was paid exactly N90,000, confirming his fears about the payment. “I thought it was just a formality, only for the month to end, and I was truly paid N90,000 after a month of working,” he shared.
The actor’s candid video has sparked discussions about the treatment of up-and-coming creatives in the entertainment industry and the importance of understanding one’s worth.
